Raspberry Almond Fruit Squares

Possible Cooking Methods:   Oven   Air Fryer

This dessert is cut into squares but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is not an elegant dessert. The almond paste in this recipe makes these bars creamy with a nice mellow almond flavor. The crust on these squares softens over time, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Serve them the day you make them for a firmer cookie-like crust, or the next day for a softer cake-like crust. Any combination of fruit and jam can be used to make this dessert. This is a great use for seasonal fruit so feel free to get creative.

½ cup almond paste (about 5 ounces)

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

4 cups raspberries

Crumb topping layer:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup oatmeal

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup sliced almonds

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

*All quantities change for alternate method.

Oven Directions

Serves:20 to 24 squares

Cooking Time:40 to 45 minutes

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Place a 15-inch long piece of parchment paper in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan so the ends extend over the sides of the pan.

2. Combine the almond paste and butter in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Add the sugar and egg and process until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Process until the dough comes together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

3. Whisk the jam until it is smooth. Gently fold in the raspberries to coat them with the jam and spoon the raspberry filling over the crust layer.

4. Make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and almonds in a bowl and toss to combine. Pour the melted butter on top and blend the ingredients with a fork to form coarse crumbles. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the fruit filling. Transfer the pan to the oven.

5. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is light brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the parchment paper to remove the baked raspberry and almond out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into 20 to 24 squares.

 

Additional Cooking Directions for

Raspberry Almond Fruit Squares

Air Fryer Directions

Serves:6 to 8

Cooking Time: 10 + 20 = 30

Change Ingredients:  Reduce the quantities as follows:
2 ounces almond paste
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup seedless raspberry jam
2 cups raspberries

Crumb topping layer:
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup oatmeal
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Pre-heat the air fryer to 350°F. Line a 7-inch cake pan with a circle of parchment paper.

2. Combine the almond paste and butter in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Add the sugar and egg and process until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process until the dough comes together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

3. Transfer the pan to the air fryer basket. You can use an aluminum foil sling to help with this by taking a long piece of aluminum foil, folding it in half lengthwise twice until it is roughly 26-inches by 3-inches. Place this under the pan and lower it into the air fryer basket. Air-fry for 10 minutes.

4. While the crust is cooking, prepare the filling. Whisk the jam until it is smooth and gently fold in the raspberries to coat them with the jam. Once the crust has baked for 10 minutes, spoon the raspberry filling on top of the crust layer.

5. Make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and almonds in a bowl and toss to combine. Pour the melted butter on top and blend the ingredients with a fork to form coarse crumbles. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the fruit filling. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and transfer the pan back to the air fryer basket.

6. Air-fry at 350°F for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and air-fry for an additional 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Invert the pan to remove the baked raspberry and almond out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.